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The Play it Strange Charitable Trust was established in 2003. During the first 16 years of operation, 5,100 songs have been written and entered in its songwriting competitions, and the trust has provided 750 recording sessions for songs written by 900 young songwriters, providing them each with a studio recording experience.
This strategy has been developed to guide the work of the trust over the next 10 years, building on the learning and experiences from the first 16 years of operation, and with a tightened focus for our future.
The trust’s core beliefs that have guided the development of this plan are:
Our vision is that “every New Zealander knows that songwriting is cool”,and this leads us to our proclamation that:
We have three long term aspirational goals in support of this vision:
“Songwriting provides young New Zealanders with a voice to express who they are, and an outlet for New Zealand stories to be captured forever”
“Play it Strange songs and recordings receive national exposure and global reach across all media formats, and Play It Strange artists have performance opportunities”
“The creative worth of song-writing is recognised in NZ schools and communities as the very foundation of our nation’s music tradition”
Short Term Measures of Success
Longer Term Impact:
We need to develop our measurement framework so that we can evaluate the long-term impact of songwriting and performance on the lives of young people who participate in Play it Strange. We believe songwriting and performance contribute to growth in skills, confidence, identity and belonging, happiness and pride.
Our primary target group for participation in our programmes is secondary school aged young people (287,000), in 376 secondary schools throughout New Zealand, across all demographic groups. In support of this, we aim that all schoolPrincipals and their 750 music teachers grow in understanding and appreciation of the role and value of songwriting, recording and performance. The young people in our programmes are supported by, and we work with a wide range of people across the following groups:
To enable the trust to have a greater impact, and to ensure the sustainability of the trust itself, we need to invest and grow in each of the following areas, either internally or with expert partner support:
Our People:
With a core staff of 2.5 FTE, and the volunteer support of the Trust board, additional capability and capacity is required in the areas of digital marketing and comms, event/programme management, ambassadors and school relationship development, philanthropy and donor management, and development of our neuro diversity network.
Partners:
We need to continue to build relationships with existing and new partners in each of the following areas: funding, event management and fundraising, insights and impact, within the music industry, education, broadcast, print/production, communications and PR, IT and technology, accounting and audit.
Insights and Impact:
We need to much better understand, and monitor:
IT/Systems:
These need to be enhanced to both improve our core processes and ensure we operate in a safe and secure environment.
Funding:
These need to be enhanced to both improve our core processes and ensure we operate in a safe and secure environment.
Songwriting is a craft of the imagination and we believe that the creative environment surrounding songwriters should foster, expose and celebrate these songs.
We run songwriting competitions with lyric, Maori language, Peace Song awards and others alongside. And we record at least 40 finalists each year in professional recording studios.
Songwriting, performance, and recording are the three pivots of our music evolution.
NZ Songwriters have their own take on what makes songwriting a vibrant, creative practice - read their fresh perspectives in our Songwriters Speak page
Songwriters SpeakWe've designed a poster with all key deadlines and dates for our competitions. Make sure to stick them in your calendar!
Further information about each competitions entry requirements can be found below in our "Competitions" section.
Online entry forms are now available for each competition.
Download the PDF and print it out, stick it up at school and hand it out to friends, get the word out there!
Director/Producer: Mareea Vegas / DOP: Kent Belcher / Art dept: Alex Matthews / Editor: Zac Blair /
Post production: Henry Williamson @ Thievery Studio / Hair: Luci Hare / Makeup: Tiveshni Naidoo / Clothing: Thanks to Lela Jacobs
Special thanks to NZ On Air for their Special Tracks grant which covered the recording and film making.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
The National Secondary School Songwriting Competition is the flagship programme of the Play It Strange Trust.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
This competition seeks songs with the lyrics embodying a focus on Peace. N.B. We are unable to offer the Hiroshima Exchange prizes this year.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
The Winner and all Finalists have been announced.
For all secondary school students in NZ.
The competition is judged based on the originality of the cover you choose to rearrange and sing, written and performed by a kiwi artist.
Supported by a Music Grant from Recorded Music NZ.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
Play It Strange presents a Cover Art competition to celebrate all creatives at New Zealand Secondary Schools.
This competition seeks an Album Artwork for the front cover of the 2018 Play It Strange Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition.
Play It Strange has worked for over 10 years, striving to provide secondary students with a platform they can use to pursue their musical adventures. We've held concerts, workshops and competitions, all with the intentions to provide the right environment from which students can gain confidence, self-belief and an impetus for a career path they would like to follow.
Read MorePatrons, Strange Friend Stars and our Strange Friends are a crucial and valuable community that support us.
We would love you to come on board.
All donations are tax deductible.
If you are interested in becoming a Platinum Patron or Strange Friends Star or indeed support Play It Strange in any way please give us a call, we would love to catch up and talk.
University of Waikato summer paper ‘Introduction To SONGWRITING’ has just finished.
Students have finalised the tracking of their two songs and the results are very cool.
I Know This To Be True was conceived and assembled by Geoff Blackwell of PQ Blackwell, and Ric Salizzo. It is a book about truth, beauty and wisdom. "Sixty New Zealanders in the middle of interesting lives talk about what really matters, truth and beauty, and the things they hold dear to their hearts."
Royalties from the book sales will be forwarded to PLAY IT STRANGE to further their website and school programmes.
I Know This To Be True is an incredible collection of New Zealanders discussing what it is that is important to them. PQ Blackwell have generously donated all profits from book sales to Play It Strange. We cannot thank them enough for their support of Play It Strange, and we are so grateful to be part of such a rich, inspiring project.
The book is available for purchase from any good book store in New Zealand and online. Go and get one and enjoy!
Play It Strange songwriters that have had their songs recorded for the annual CD are making cool inroads out into the world. Their career paths were fuelled from their time at school during which they sent their songs into our competitions and triumphed.
Here we have a selection of those who hit the ground running when they left school. With songwriting, performance and recording experience they were capable and poised for action.
CUSTOMERS: Those philanthropic institutions, individuals, grants bodies and funding agencies. We applaud their generosity in supporting us and their focus on the benefits we bring to the society around us.
CLIENTS: The songwriters and performers that bring their imaginative craft and performing skills to bear and we are all rewarded. From the secondary school songwriting competitions to the recording sessions for the top 40 songs.
Watch Seven Sharp's story on our WE ARE ONE - Concert for Autism here
Photo GalleryNZ Musician Magazine Review
